We had been running behind schedule all day. With no watch, no cell phone, and little knowledge of the language to direct our taxi driver, my roommate Dove and I had finally made it to the local Opera. But there was no sign of our friend Jennifer outside the stadium. We found out later that she had waited half-an-hour and finally had to go inside to claim her seat. We found seats way up in the “nosebleed” section, with our other roommate HotChocoLOT and one of her Asian friends, Cindy. Two hours later (after at least 3 encores), we were invited to go out with HotChocoLOT, Cindy, and 8 of Cindy’s friends. Dove and I had only eaten cereal for dinner, so even though we were ready to go home after what we thought was an uneventful night, we decided to join them for food.
Because of the size of our group, we were ushered into a private upper room of the restaurant. There we could drink tea, sing songs, and laugh and talk as loud as we wanted with no distractions. Within 10 minutes after my food arrived, I found myself relinquishing my chopsticks to an idle position on my plate. Somehow, the beef and rice no longer needed my attention as much as the five faces now staring at me, completely captivated. They hung on my every word as I shared about attending a Bible college. I got to tell them about my favorite book and the many true stories within. They had heard about the Creation story, but were not familiar with the Christmas story. I got to tell them how my relationship with Jesus had changed my life, and they were excited to hear how He lifts our burdens and brings us peace and joy.
This was the most interesting, fun group I have met so far! Dove, HotChocoLOT and I had so much fun with them that we forgot any of the awkwardness the cultural and language barriers often bring. We spontaneously planned a Christmas party at our apartment for next week and invited them all to come so we can share with them the real reason we celebrate!
I am very excited for this time of year. The Christmas season is the perfect time to share about Jesus! Please pray for boldness and open hearts.
With Love,
Rock Star